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ENJOINING RIGHT AND FORBIDDING WRONG #9- Ibn Taymiyyah

DISOBEDIENCE TO ALLAH CAUSES DIFFICULTY, OBEDIENCE CAUSES EASE

One thing which is clearly established from the signs which Allah has shown us between the horizons and in our selves, and with which He has born witness in His book -- is that disobedience is a cause of calamities and difficulties. The evil of calamities and punishments comes from the evil of ones actions. Also, obedience is a cause of plenty and ease. The doing of good of the slave is a reason for the doing of good by Allah to him. Allah said:

[And whatever calamity befalls you, it is according to that which your own hands have earned - and Allah forgives much.] Qur'an 42/30

[Whatever good comes to you is from Allah, and whatever evil comes to you is from yourself.] Qur'an 4/79

[Verily, those of you who turned their backs on the day when the two armies met, the Shaitan caused them to slip up because of some of what they had earned. Allah has forgiven them.] Qur'an 3/155

[So, is it that when some calamity strikes you (in war), though you have previously inflicted a calamity twice its magnitude, you ask: Why is this? Say: It is from your own selves.] Qur'an 3/165

[Or He may cause them to stop moving altogether (i.e. ships at sea) because of that which they have earned, and He forgives much.] Qur'an 42/34

[And if they are afflicted with some calamity because of that which their own hands have sent forth, verily man is ever ungrateful, faithless] Qur'an 42/48

[Allah is not about to punish them while you are amongst them, and He is not about to punish them while they (i.e. some among them) seek His forgiveness.] Qur'an 8/33

ALLAH'S PUNISHMENT OF THE PREVIOUS NATIONS FOR THEIR DISOBEDIENCE

Allah has informed us of his punishment of the previous nations for their wickedness such as the people of Nuh, and 'aad, Thamud, the people of Lut, the people of the city of Madyan, and the people of Fir'aun (Pharoah) in this world, and He has informed us of the punishments which await them in the next world. Thus, the believer who had been hiding his belief from the people of Fir'aun said, as Allah tells us in the Qur'an:

[O, my people, verily I fear for you something like the days of the nations who came before, something like the punishment which befell the people of Nuh, 'aad, Thamud, and those who came after them. Allah does not intend any oppression of His slaves. And O, my people, verily I fear for you the day of calling to one another, on that day you will turn your backs and run in fear, and there will be none who can protect you from Allah. Whosoever Allah sends astray has no one whatsoever who can guide him.] Qur'an 40/30-33

And Allah said in another aya about the punishment in this world: [Such is the punishment, and the punishment in the next world is greater, if only they knew.] Qur'an 68/33 [We will punish them twice, and then they will be returned to a mighty torment.] Qur'an 9/101

[We will give them a taste of the minor punishment before the greater punishment, that they might turn back (i.e. to what is right)] Qur'an 32/21

[So, watch for day when the sky will come with a distinct smoke . It covers the people; this is a painful punishment. Our Lord! Relieve us of this torment. Verily, we are believers. How will that (i.e. removing their torment) cause them to remember and believe when a Messenger has already come to them with clear signs? And they turned away from him saying: "...taught by others" and "...afflicted by jinn". Verily, we will remove the punishment from them a little, and verily, they will go right back. On that day when we will strike out the greatest of blows, verily our vengeance will be complete.] Qur'an 44/10-16

PUNISHMENT OF THE EVIL-DOERS IN THIS WORLD AND THE NEXT

Thus, in many of ayaat containing warnings for those who disobey Allah, Allah mentions His punishment of the evil-doers in this world as well as the punishment which He has prepared for them in the next life. In other verses, He mentions only the punishments of the next life, because its punishment is much greater, and its reward is much greater, and it is the place of permanence. So, when the punishments of this world are mentioned, they are secondary to the mentioning of the punishments of the next life, as in the following story of Yusuf (peace be upon him):

[In this way we empowered Yusuf in the earth, he moves therein wherever he pleases. We will not negate the reward of those who do good, and the reward of the next life is better for those who believe, and used to fear Allah.] Qur'an 12/56-57

[And so Allah gave them the reward of this life, and the best of rewards for the next life.] Qur'an 3/148

[And those who migrated for the sake of Allah after they had been oppressed, we will establish them in the earth in a goodly fashion, and the reward of the next life is greater, if they only knew. Those who have patience, and depend fully on their Lord.] Qur'an 16/41-42

Allah said about Ibrahim (upon him be peace) in another aya: [And we gave him his reward in this life, and verily he is among the righteous in the next life.] Qur'an 16/122

As for what Allah has mentioned about the punishment of this life and the next, we can look to Sura An-naazi'aat in which He said:

[By those (angels) who violently tear out (the souls of the wicked at death). And by those who gently draw out (the souls of the righteous at death)] Qur'an 79/1-2

And then, in the same Sura, Allah said: [On that day when the great trembling and quaking occurs (upon the first sounding of the Horn, which signals Allah's putting to death of all creation)

Which is followed by another, similar (the second sounding of the Horn, which signals the bringing to life of the whole creation)] Qur'an 79/6-7

in which He mentioned the day of Qiyama in general, and then He said:

[Has the story of Musa reached you? When his Lord called him in the sacred valley of Tuwa (Saying) Go to Fir'aun, for verily he has transgressed And say to him: Do you have any desire to be purified? And that I should guide you to your Lord so that you should fear Him? Then Musa showed him the Great Sign. But Fir'aun rejected and disobeyed . Then he turned away, striving hard (against the truth). Then he collected his forces, and made a proclamation Saying: I am your lord, most high. So Allah destroyed him, and made an example of him in the hereafter, and in this life . Verily in this there is an instructive warning for those who fear Allah.] Qur'an 79/15-26

Then, Allah mentioned the place of beginning, and the place of return in detail saying:[Are you more difficult to create or the heavens? Allah has constructed them. He raised high the canopy, and gave it order and perfection. And so when the great overwhelming event arrives (i.e. Qiyama) On that day, man will remember all that he used to strive for. And hell-fire will be made plainly visible for all who see. Then, as for the one who transgressed * And preferred the life of this world Verily (for such) the fire is the final abode . And as for those who had fear of their standing before their Lord, and forbid themselves the dictates of their hawaa Verily the Garden (of Paradise) is their final abode.] Qur'an 79/27-28, 34-41

Also, in Sura al-Muzammil, Allah mentions His own statement: [And leave me with those who deny the truth, who possess the good things of this life, and leave them for a short time * Verily, we have fetters (to bind them) and fire (to burn them). And food that chokes, and a painful punishment. One day, the earth and the mountains will tremble and quake, and the mountains will be like a heap of sand poured out and flowing down . Verily, we have sent to you a Prophet as a witness over you, just as we sent to Fir'aun a Prophet . But Fir'aun disobeyed the Prophet, so we seized him with a heavy punishment.] Qur'an 73/11-16

Also, in Sura Al-Haaqqa, Allah mentions the stories of the disbelieving nations such as Thamud, 'aad, and Fir'aun, and then says:

[When a single blast is sounded on the Horn * And the earth and the mountains are lifted up and crushed to powder at a single stroke.] Qur'an 69/13-14

Then, in verses 15-37 Allah describes the people of heaven and hell, and their condition on the day of Qiyama and after.

In Sura Al-Qalam, Allah mentions the story of the owners of the garden (i.e. farm) who conspired to withhold the rights of the poor from them and were punished by the destruction of their crop. Then Allah says: [Such is the punishment, and the punishment of the hereafter is of greater magnitude, if they only knew.] Qur'an 68/33

Again, in Sura At-Taghaabun, Allah says: [Didn't the news reach you of those who rejected faith before? They tasted the results of their actions, and for them is a painful punishment. That was because Messengers used to come to them with clear signs, but they said: "Should mere human beings guide us?" So they rejected faith, and turned away. And Allah is in no need. Allah is free of all needs, worthy of all praise. The disbelievers imagine that they will not be raised up (for judgement) Say: Yes, by my Lord, you will be raised up, then you will be informed of all that you did, and that is very easy for Allah.] Qur'an 64/5-7

Allah has mentioned the condition of those who oppose and disobey the prophets, as well as the threatened punishments which await them in the hereafter in many chapters of the Qur`an. Among them: Qaf, Al-Qamar, Al-Mu'min, As-Sajdah, Az-Zukhruf, Ad-Dukhaan, and many others

JazaakumuLLaahu khayraa for the reminder